 September 15th 2008
 Health & Lifestyle
 15 comments
After years of blissfully eating Big Macs, cooking cheap, greasy foods and drinking fizzy drinks there is now an ever increasing focus on living an healthier lifestyle. However, that’s easier said than done. The whole project of getting healthy covers a lot of areas, ranging from having the right foods in your fridge, getting into the routine of exercise and just ultimately finding the motivation to stick with it all. But, where do you even start? Well firstly, you shouldn’t jump in at the deep end as you will end up drowning. I really believe that small steps done regularly and consistently is much more effective than the rush of enthusiasm followed by the comedown that usually results from trying to make big changes immediately. With that in mind, I present five of the simplest things you can do which will have you taking those first small steps to an healthier lifestyle.
- Go to the gym once a week
Once. A. Week. That is all I’m asking. I’m not asking you to go twice or even three times a week, just find time to go once. If you can’t manage that then there are bigger problems in your life. Heck, if you don’t like the gym do your own thing at home or go out for a jog, but just have that one exercise session a week. It’s an invaluable habit to get into, and once you’re over that first hurdle going several times a week will be easy.
- Drink more water
Just think of all the sugar in fizzy drinks. Ditch them and start drinking water. Take a bottle with you to work, ask for a jug of water at the table when you are in restaurants. If you are worried about the taste (or lack of it) buy a filter, or get flavored water. There is really no excuse to not drink more of it because let’s face it… it’s only water!
- Eat healthy snacks
Don’t get wound up at the idea of replacing entire meals with healthy options. It will invariably involve getting in different ingredients, learning new recipes and even eating food you don’t like as much. All that can come later. Instead start with snacks. They are easy to replace and won’t impact your diet so dramatically that you have a tough time adjusting. Instead of having a bag of crisps when you are feeling peckish have a piece of fruit, instead of a chocolate bar have an oat bar.
- Choose light options
In my supermarket the other week I noticed that Flora (the margerine) now has light, extra light, no salt and several other obscure versions. Most products nowadays have a similar choice, so make sure you choose them. The difference may be negligible with just one product but just think how many foods you eat on a day-to-day basis that have light versions. And all you have to do is pick the right product off the shelf!
- Have breakfast
Breakfast has long been viewed to be the most important meal of the day, but that’s not the only motivation to have it. Breakfast is the easiest meal to make because it usually involves simple ingredients, so just like with snacks you can choose healthy options (instead of a sugary cereal have a high fibre one). What’s more, breakfast really sets the tone for the day. If you off in the morning eating healthy you’re more likely to stick with it during the rest of the day.
Reader discussion
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Fantastic tips! I find the goal of eating five servings of fruits and veggies a day helps, too. That way when I need a snack I reach for an apple or baby carrots instead of crackers.
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James
September 15th 2008
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Yeah, I find that from having fruit for breakfast and as replacement for snacks I usually end up getting my five-a-day naturally.
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Great tips. I think your comments of no longer eating fast food is the best tip but its not one of your five. That can counter any good habits so eliminating that bad habit is a huge health boost.
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You have made the tips sound so easy it would be a shame to not even attempt to try them out. Of the 5 tips, I only need to go to the gym once a week. I should probably try jogging in my neighborhood.
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James
September 16th 2008
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Agreed, though I think just cutting out fast food is a tough thing to do immediately. There is a time and place for it but we have to get the right balance. I think by starting with these five habits it will provide a strong foundation for eventually getting that balance.
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Good tips but I think the most important one is the least stressed. Exercise. A healthy, and I believe very easy, routine is twenty minutes of intense cardiovascular activity every other day… not hard to fit into most schedules, and you’ll feel the benefits immediately.
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Thanks for pointing that out about Flora. I’m not recommending margarines specifically, rather that you should choose light versions of anything you eat. However, I do take your point. Maybe I can use another food type as an example.
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Brief and to the point, my kind of article. I’m not a big fan of breakfasts though. The warrior diet is conceptually a great idea.
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Good article. If I went to the gym once a week I’d be a 300lb fatass, but maybe if a 300lb fatass went to the gym once a week they’d lose a couple of pounds?
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Possibly. The purpose of the article is more about taking those first steps to an healthy habit. If you already go to the gym regularly, great, you don’t need this article. However if you’ve never consistently managed to do exercise, just focus on going once a week for a while.
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I would add these two from my own experience. Firstly, chew slowly and taste every mouthful. Secondly, listen to your body telling you when you are full, then stop eating. After trying many, many ways to lose weight, this combination has proved to be the one that yielded the best results.
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This is good advive about looking for breakfast cereals with fibre. There is a perception that all cereals are healthy.
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